The following development criteria are established to guide and control the planning, development and use of land in a Planned Unit Development:
(a) Building and Use Arrangements. The design and development criteria set forth in this section are intended to provide considerable latitude and freedom in order to encourage variety in the arrangement of uses and of the location, bulk and shape of buildings, open space and landscape features. Buildings and uses shall be arranged, designed or located in order to screen and preserve uses within and nearby the Planned Unit Development from adverse effects of uses within or nearby the Planned Unit Development. The buildings and uses may be arranged in various groups, courts, sequences or clusters with open spaces organized and related to the buildings in order to provide privacy where applicable, and to form a unified composition of buildings and space, and to maximize the peace and tranquility of the residential occupants of the Planned Unit Development and the nearby area, where applicable. The following design standards shall be met in the Planned Unit Development area:
(1) That the adjoining property be protected from loss of light, air and view because of the proximity or the bulk or shape of a building or structure within the Planned Unit Development.
(2) That through skillful design, in Planned Unit Developments containing residential units, the usability and accessibility of open spaces on adjoining lots be obtained, while privacy be assured within such adjoining dwellings.
(3) That required yards and setbacks should not be excessive so as to prevent the reasonable development of open land for landscape features, recreation or other private or passive use; and
(4) That the latitude in design should also apply to the planning of landscape features such as walls, fences, hedges and other features to create a variety of common open spaces and private areas.
(b) Local Circulation System. The vehicular circulation system and parking facilities shall be designed to fully accommodate vehicular traffic with safety and efficiency without allowing the same to dominate and destroy the form of the area. Driveways for group developments and local streets shall be connected to major arterial and collector streets at locations where the traffic can be controlled and operated effectively with minimum interference with the capacity of the major arterial and collector streets. The amount of traffic generated by commercial uses passing through residential areas shall be minimized.
(c) Topography and Site Appearance. It is a requirement of this Zoning Code that such developments shall be designed to take advantage of the topography of the land in order to utilize the natural contours, to economize on the construction of utilities to reduce the amount of grading and to maximize the conservation of trees and topsoil. The natural features and other distinctive characteristics of the site shall be integrated into the plan to create functional variations in the arrangement of buildings, open spaces and site features.
(d) Utility Services. Utility services in a Planned Unit Development area shall be entirely underground.
(e) Private Land. In the planning of residential developments in a variety of groups or clusters, private land should be provided adjacent to the units for the private outdoor use of the occupants.
(f) Common Land. The common land shall be readily accessible and of such condition, size, shape and form of ownership as to be usable for recreation or appropriate for undeveloped open spaces. The integrity of the common land shall be guaranteed from further division or other changes through deed restrictions or declarations of covenants by explicit prohibition of other than intended uses. Such deed restrictions and covenants shall be exempt from further amendment except upon prior approval by Council.
(g) Unified Boundary. The design at the development area boundary shall be unified with the adjoining development. Within the development area, extensive parking areas, commercial areas and other features likely to have an adverse effect on the surrounding property shall be screened against viewing from first stories outside the development. Screening shall also be provided against adverse views from the development against lights, noise or other undesirable conditions on the surrounding areas outside the development.
(h) Surrounding Area. The Planned Unit Development shall be planned and developed to harmonize with existing and proposed development in the area adjacent to and surrounding the project site and shall be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.